The Nene, a type of goose and Hawaii's state bird, is endangered. Like many of the native animals and plants in Hawai'i, they have adapted, biologically, to better suit their environment. The Nene, for example, has lost much of the webbing between it's toes which makes it easier walking over the lava. Native mint has no minty smell or taste. The minty taste is a defense mechanism which isn't needed in Hawai'i since many plants and animals didn't have any predators. This has all changed in the past 1800 years sine the introduction of man and his farm animals (pigs and rats in particular).